Axe hasn’t had an easy life. His mother left his father and him when he was just a boy. His dad was so distraught he was never the same again. He built the cottage Axe and he lived in and spent all his daylight hours down in his workshop carving beautiful wooden creatures, all for when the love his life would finally return. But sadly she never did and he died in the raids when the family he was working for wouldn’t allow him in the safe room. Now Axe is all alone, living in the cottage, not even able to afford electricity to heat the place. The one good thing in his life was getting accepted into the Black Dagger Brotherhood training program, an opportunity he won’t squander!

Elise lives with her father and aunt and uncle. But there is a sadness that lingers over their home ever since her cousin was murdered. Her uncle walks around like a ghost and her aunt doesn’t leave their room. Nobody discusses what happened and they haven’t even had a proper fade ceremony to say their goodbyes.

Now Elise’s father is worried that she may face the same fate as her cousin. Elise has had to resort to sneaking out to attend school so she can complete her doctorate. But one night her father catches her and it leaves herself facing the possibility of sehclusion. But instead her dad is persuaded to get her a bodyguard instead so that she can finish school, while staying safe. And her dad just happens to hire a male she just met and is strangely attracted to, Axe! Things between the two quickly heat up, but will outside forces break them apart?

This was another really good book in this spin-off series. I love this more simplistic series in our beloved Black Dagger world. We get new characters, new romances, and another look at our favorite brothers and their shellans as well! And this book focuses on my favorite brother, Rhage, so there was no doubt that I’d love this one! Although it was sad, what Rhage and Mary were going through; the possibility of losing the family they so recently built. But I had no doubt that it would all work out in the end, especially with our favorite foul-mouthed fallen angel telling them just that! I sure do love Lassiter too! He just brings so much fun to the series. And, with all that Rhage and Mary were going through this book definitely needed his brand of humor!

“Rhage, we have a problem–“

“You weren’t supposed to tell him!” Lassiter barked.

Rhage frowned. “Lassiter?”

“Fuck you!” came the muffled response.

Mary pointed to the hearth. “Lassiter is in a Santa suit, stuck in the chimney, impaled on something that means he can’t dematerialize. So we’ve got a problem.”

Rhage blinked once. And then threw his head back and laughed so loudly the windows shook.

“This is the best fucking Christmas present ever!”

“Fuck you, Hollywood!” Lassiter yelled from inside the chimney. “Fuck you so hard–”

But of course the main couple in this book is Elise and Axe and I really enjoyed them as well. Axe had a rough childhood after his mom left and it’s hard to imagine him living on his own, struggling to keep himself fed and unable to even afford heat. I kept waiting for the brothers to find out and force him to the mansion, but it never happened.

Elise is a driven female that knows exactly what she wants in life. I was surprised how quickly she jumped in the sheets with Axe being such a goody two-shoes though, and I honestly thought Troy would be more of a problem, then he was. Not to mention, her father. But I knew from the beginning when she preached about honesty that it would become the thing that ripped them apart later. And it quickly became obvious what secret Axe would be hiding that put the wedge between them. But the couple gets help from an unlikely source. Will it be enough to save them?

This was a really great read and I can’t wait for my next Black Dagger Fix!